WB new Afghanistan director joins Kabul office

KABUL (Pajhwok): The newly appointed World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan Melinda Good joined the Kabul office on Thursday, succeeding Henry Kerali, who completed his term.

Melinda Good, a United States national, joined the World Bank in 2005 and has worked in several leadership positions across the World Bank, including in South Asia.

Before joining the World Bank, Melinda worked with the Asian Development Bank in Manila, Philippines, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Washington, DC.

She began her career as a private-sector lawyer in New York and Singapore. She has worked in South Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, the Pacific Islands, and North America.

“I am honored to take on my new position as the World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan and serve the people of Afghanistan,” said Melinda Good.

“The country is facing unprecedented hardship due to COVID-19 and high levels of uncertainty.  Continued international support to maintain Afghanistan’s public services is critical to maintain development gains.”

She said the World Bank Group has been a key partner of the Afghan people in the last 20 years and has helped achieve significant development progress.

“Together with our international partners, we will continue to stand alongside the government and people of Afghanistan in their journey toward recovery, self-reliance, and a more prosperous future.”

The World Bank Group’s (WBG) program in Afghanistan is currently governed by its Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for fiscal years 2017-2021. The Bank also administers the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), the World Bank Group’s largest single-country multi-donor trust fund.

To date, the World Bank has provided more than $5.3 billion for development and emergency reconstruction projects and eight budget support operations in Afghanistan.

Pr/ma

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